GTR is a challenge for people who may, or may not, like racing

This is a racing game for people who don't like most racing games but don't mind a challenge. It couldn't get much more realistic without including the smell of burning rubber.

GTR simulates the FIA GT series, which you can think of as a European version of NASCAR where the tracks don't run in circles. The cars include Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborghinis, BMWs, Corvettes and other covet-worthy vehicles, all of which both look and sound right. With a little practice, you can tell if that car approaching on your left is a Saleen SR-7 or a Lotus Elise.

Competing cars don't succumb to the pack-driving problem of other racing games; here, each car has its own computer-controlled personality. But they'll all battle for a win, trying to block your path at times. Be careful if you try to return the favor, because banging into other cars at high speeds will put a dent in yours. And the realistic damage model means you'll also dent your own car's performance. On the plus side, if you get into a tangle, you'll be treated to some of the most spectacular crash scenes yet rendered on a computer screen.

The courses look breathtaking, portraying such famous courses as Monza, Donington Park and Barcelona. The weather will change as you drive, which will in turn change your driving as the drops hit the pavement and loosen your tires' grip.

If you can't handle that much realism, a semi-pro mode has the other drivers ease up on you, while an arcade mode plays more like most other games.

Or you can opt for a 24-hour endurance race -- played out in real time. (You can use an autopilot option to have the computer drive for you, based on your driving style thus far, but wouldn't that be cheating?)